Protocol for the Suspension of Hostilities between
France and China, and Explanatory Note

Signed at Paris 4 April 1885

This instrument was followed by the
comprehensive settlement signed at Tientsin in June 1885. The Tientsin Treaty has not been
included in TDP.

Between M. BILLOT,
Minister Plenipotentiary, Director for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Paris, and James Duncan CAMPBELL, Commissioner and non-resident
Secretary to the Inspector-General of the Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs Agency, second
class in the Chinese civil service and Officer in the Legion of Honour, both duly
authorized by their respective governments, have concluded the following Protocol and the
explanatory note which follows:

PROTOCOL

Article 1

On one part, China agrees to ratify the
Convention of Tientsin of 11 May 1884, and on the other part, France agrees that it will
pursue nothing but the complete and entire implementation of that Treaty.

France agrees to send a minister to the
North, that is to Tientsin or Peking, in order to arrange the details and the two powers
will then set the date for the retreat of the troops.

DONE at Paris, 4 April 1885

BILLOT
CAMPBELL

EXPLANATORY NOTE TO THE PROTOCOL OF
4 APRIL 1885

I. As soon as a imperial decree has
been promulgated ordering the implementation of the Treaty of 11 May 1884 and thereby
enjoining the Chinese troops which are actually at Tonkin to retreat beyond the border,
all military operations on land and at sea in Formosa and on the coast of China will be
suspended; the commanders of the French troops at Tonkin will be ordered not to cross the
Chinese border.

II. From the moment the Chinese troops
have received the order to withdraw behind the border, the blockade of Formosa and Pakhoi
will be lifted and the minister of France shall get into contact with the representatives
to be named by the Emperor of China, in order to negotiate and conclude, with the shortest
possible delay, a final peace, friendship, and trade treaty. That treaty will determine
the date at which the French troops should be withdrawn from the north of Formosa.

III. In order for the order to withdraw
beyond the frontier to be communicated as fast as possible by the government of China to
the troops at Yunnan, the French government shall provide all facilities for that order to
be relayed to the commanders of the Chinese troops on the road from Tonkin.

IV. Considering in any case that the order to
cease hostilities and to withdraw cannot be relayed on the same day in French and in
Chinese to their respective forces, it is understood that the cessation of hostilities,
the beginning of the withdrawal and the completion of the withdrawal shall take place on
the following dates: the 10th, 20th and 30th April for the troops to the east of
Tuyen-Quan. The 20th and 30th of April and the 10th of May for the troops to the west of
that location. The commander who receives the order to cease hostilities first, shall
communicate this news to the closest troop units (?) and shall subsequently avoid all
movement, attack or encounter.

V. During the full duration of the
armistice and until the signature of the final treaty, the two parties agree not to
transport to Formosa any troops or war munitions. As soon as the final treaty has been
signed and approved by Imperial decree, France shall withdraw the warships used for the
meeting to the high seas, and China shall reopen its treaty ports to French ships.